Less of the worse, more of the better
by Doc Lee
Summary: A reaction to the Season Six finale so MAJOR SPOILERS within. A rough theory as to how Season Seven could open. Warning - A little bit of naughty language inside.


Marlowe... You evil man. Obviously a fix to the end of the season finale that killed about half the fandom. Personally, I don't like the twist. I think you could have gotten just as much tension and shock with another cliffhanger, one I may write in a few weeks.

Just to add, this was typed out under literal pain, so any goof' are down to that. All constructivemoments welcome. Enjoy.

Disclaimer - The people that own Castle are the people that own Castle. If I was one of those people, the finale would have ended differently.

* * *

Richard Castle was dead. Killed in a car crash on the way to his wedding. That was the official story, one that had a flood of press gathered outside not only the Loft, but Kate's old flooded apartment and the 12th. That was what caused the endless parade of Rick's writer friends appearing in the doorway to the loft, or leaving messages on the answer machine.

It was the story that Kate knew was false. She knew she was just turning her mother's rabbit hole into Castle's, but as she'd stated numerous times, she'd just spent 15 years proving that the official story behind her mother's death was a pack of lies, so she wasn't going to accept Rick's death just like that.

* * *

She didn't know how long she'd stood on the verge staring at the buried Mercedes, but Kate suddenly registered a blanket being draped over her.

'No!' the cry bubbled out of her, 'This isn't how it goes.'

'Kate, sweetie,' Lanie's voice was full of tears, 'You need to step back and prepare yourself for the fact it might be exactly how it goes.'

'No!' Kate shook her head sharply.

'At least step back, you don't want to get the dress damaged,' Lanie gently tugged, 'We have a simple change of clothes in the car, you can use an ambulance to change.'

'Okay,' Kate whispered, 'He's not dead Lanie, not after all we've been through. That's not how this story ends.'

'I know honey,' Lanie soothed as they entered the back of the vehicle. Two minutes later, dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Kate stalked over to where the police chief stood talking to his men.

'Ms Beckett...' he started to speak, his tone one that Kate recognised as one she'd used countless times before.

'Detective,' Kate stated, 'Is there a body in the car?'

'We don't now yet, 'The chief gently spoke, 'The blaze should be out in a few minutes, but until then, we can't be sure if there's anyone in the vehicle.'

'I know i'm out of my jurisdiction, but you need to allow Dr Parish to do the autopsy on any body you discover,' Kate turned to point at Lanie, who was wrapped around a newly arrived Esposito, Ryan staring agog at the flaming car.

'And why should I do that?' The chief crossed his arms over his chest.

'Last year Castle and I investigated a case of a plastic surgeon who had turned two strangers into near identical copies of Dr Parish and Detective Esposito before the impostors were murdered. When we had enough proof for an arrest, we found her practice was cleaned out, bar a USB device that contained a single music file of the Dame Vera Lynn song.'

'We'll meet again?' The chief frowned, 'You think this woman staged the accident?'

'The only other explaination right now is that my fiancé has just been killed in a car accident,' Kate fought her emotions down, 'And I'm not going to believe that until I see legitimate evidence telling me so, and only of it's from people I trust.'

'I understand,' The chief nodded, 'I'm not supposed to do this, but if anything in the press about your recently is true, then you'll find a way into the investigations. Call your team over and we'll work out the logistics.'

* * *

'Kate,' Alexis slumped into the sofa next to the older woman, 'You found him, we know where the bastard is holding my father. So why are you sat here staring at the phone?'

'I'm compromised,' Kate whispered, 'If I go into that warehouse, then I'm more likely to get both of us killed. Besides, that's what Tyson is wanting us to do.

* * *

'The body in the Mercedes was identical to Rick's apart from the DNA,' Lanie stood behind the morgue table. Laid out across the sterile surface was the results of the multitude of tests that she had done to the remains found in the car.

'Tyson,' Esposito growled menacingly, 'I'm going to kill that puta!'

'Get in line,' Kate's icy voice froze the room, fury burning inside her.

'So he's alive,' Gates looked shocked, 'How?'

'Don't know,' Kate shrugged, 'Don't care. Now we find the fucker. Wherever he is, Castle will be there.'

'Get to it people,' Gates ordered.

* * *

Kate sighed when Alexis gasped loudly, the redhead's jaw dropping low.

'What did you do Kate?'

'Remember the clusterfuck of the press conference Gina forced on us the other day?' Kate glowered, 'The one that I made you hold that copy of Casino Royale?'

'Oh!' Alexis cried, 'that's a signal to my grandfather isn't it?'

'Yeah,' Kate nodded, 'He turned up two days ago.'

* * *

'Where is my son?' Jackson Hunt stormed across the precinct bullpen towards the conference room that had been turned into the hub for the search for Castle.

'Who the hell are you and how did you get up here at this hour?' Gate barked at the older man.

'Sir,' Kate jumped in, 'This is Castle's father.'

'I beg your pardon?' Gates bellowed in shock.

'I'm Richard's father,' Jackson glared dangerously, 'Where is he?'

'We've tracked both Tyson and Nieman to a warehouse down near to the docks,' Kate handed Jackson a bundle of papers, 'Floor plans from the city records along with all the Information on both Tyson and Nieman.'

'Why aren't you going in?' Jackson frowned.

'I'm too emotionally involved,' Kate admitted, her eyes welling up, 'I'm more likely to get both of us killed if I go in. Same goes for anyone from the 12th.'

'Plus,' Kate's watery smile was menacing, 'That's exactly what Tyson is expecting. Me leading the Calvary. A former CIA operative who just happens to be Castle's father is something I'd can't see either of those two bastards planning for.'

'Give me 24 hours,' Jackson glowered, glancing at a visibly surprised Gates, 'I wasn't here.'

'Hunt!' Kate called out as the man stalked across the bullpen, 'Castle emptied a full clip into Tyson last year, yet he survived. If you kill them, make sure they're dead.'

'I intend to Katherine,' Hunt vowed as the lift doors closed.

* * *

'Oh wow,' Alexis looked shocked, 'He came back?'

'He came back,' Kate nodded as the front door to the loft opened. The two women shot to their feet, turning to the door in expectation.

Instead of a returned Castle, the man standing in the doorway was a fully tac'd up Esposito, 'We got him.'

'Where is he?' Kate scrambled around the sofa, Alexis immediately behind her.

'Kate,' Esposito sighed, 'Castle's alive, but he's been worked over. Hunt told Kevin to drive straight to the hospital as Writer boy was barely conscious. I came here to get you two over there.'

Kate wasn't sure how she got there, but the next thing she registered, she was sat on the worn plastic chairs in the relative's waiting room alongside everyone she held dear to her.

'Kate?' A nurse entered the room hurriedly.

'Me!' Kate jumped to her feet and followed the frazzled younger woman.

'You need to come with me now,' The nurse looked back franticly as she hurried down the corridor, 'Mr Castle is awake and highly agitated. He's trying to get to a Kate to save her from a Tyson and we're worried he's going to undo all the work done to him on the table.'

'I'm the Kate,' Kate winced as Rick's shouts hit her ears, the nurse holding a large double door open.

'Third door on the left,' The nurse pointed Kate sprinted across the room, skidding on the smooth floor as she stopped outside the open doorway.

'Rick!' Kate cried out, the man she'd thought she'd never see again fighting against the medical staff trying to hold him down, 'Stop! I'm okay!'

'KATE!' Wild eyes locked on hers, Rick calming instantly as Kate hurried to his side, 'Tyson...'

'Is dead,' Kate grabbed Rick's hand, pressing a hard kiss to his palm, cautious of the IV line attached to him, 'he's gone. So is Nieman. You're safe here.'

'L've 'u,' Rick stopped fighting.

'God I love you to Rick,' Kate let out a small sob, not caring about the audience, 'You need to let them do their jobs. Let them make you better because the first chance I get, I'm marrying your ass.'

'Good,' Rick sighed as the medication pushed into his IV took effect, 'Be here when I wake up?'

'Always!' Kate vowed.


End file.
